

eSports
Alonso and Barrichello team up for Le Mans Virtual assault with Torque Esports’ simulator company Allinsports
- The Spanish/Brazilian combination have an incredible 633 Formula 1 race starts and 43 wins between them
- Sim racing stars Olli Pahkala and Jarl Teien to join F1 stars
- Torque Esports’ sim manufacturer Allinsports throw support behind Le Mans entry
Formula 1 legends Fernando Alonso and Rubens Barrichello are teaming up for an assault on the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual – launching the FA/RB Allinsports team for the virtual version of the fabled French endurance racing event.
The duo are two of only five men with more than 300 Formula 1 race starts to their credit, with Barrichello holding the record at 322 with Alonso not far behind on 311.
Scheduled for June 13/14 – the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual will fill the date that was originally scheduled for the 88th running of the legendary French endurance race, which Alonso has previously won twice.
The Alonso/Barrichello team is backed by Torque Esports (TSX-V: GAME) (OTCQB: MLLLF) and its market-leading simulator manufacturer Allinsports, which build and supply Formula 1-level simulators to both racing legends.
Headed by ex-Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull development and electronics expert Anton Stipinovich, Allinsports not only design and build full-size, full-motion simulators from its base in Maranello, Italy, but also market the eRacer simulator that is used by leading motorsport stars including Alonso, Barrichello, Sebastian Vettel, Kimi Raikkonen, Charles Leclerc, Emerson Fittipaldi, Tony Kanaan, Helio Castroneves, Gil de Ferran, David Brabham, Conor Daly and Nicholas Latifi
The Torque Esports team has a long history at Le Mans with President and CEO Darren Cox creating the Nissan PlayStation GT Academy program which turned gamers into real-world race drivers and spearheaded the successful Le Mans debut for the likes of Jann Mardenborough and Lucas Ordonez.
Joining the Formula 1 stars for the event will be top Nordic sim racing racers Olli Pahkala (Finland) and Jarl Teien (Norway).
“I’ve been very fortunate to have two victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the past two years, but the level of competition for the virtual race could be even tougher,” Alonso said.
“I’m thrilled to team up with Rubens and delighted to add Olli and Jarl to our team. Allinsports played a big role in getting both Rubens and I involved in sim racing, and we’re very excited to be working together with Anton and his team as well as the guys from Torque Esports who are putting this together.”
Allinsports’ Stipinovich previously worked closely with both Barrichello and Alonso during their Ferrari Formula 1 stints. The South African-born electronics expert worked with Barrichello during the dominant Ferrari Schumacher/Barrichello era and worked with the Ferrari Driver Academy during Alonso’s stint.
“Anton and I had a lot of success together back in the day and he has been a huge help in getting me involved in esports racing,” Barrichello said.
“I did Le Mans back in 2017 and loved the experience, and now I’m really looking forward to going back and doing it virtually with this great team. We have a lot of work to do to prepare for the race, but it is going to be a brilliant challenge.”
Both Alonso and Barrichello have showcased their virtual talents in the Torque Esports’ The Race All-Star Series powered by ROKiT Phones in the Legends Trophy division.
Alonso starred last week at Indianapolis, taking two victories, including a win in the reverse grid event. Barrichello has also been to victory lane in the series, taking a victory at NOLA Motorsport Park earlier this year.
The FA/RB Allinsports team has also enlisted the support of former Le Mans LMP2 winning squad Greaves Motorsport to support the virtual Le Mans assault. Jacob Greaves and his team will handle the preparations and in-race strategy for the team.
The Greaves Motorsport squad is no stranger to tackling the 24 Hours of Le Mans with gamers. Torque Esports’ Cox previously worked with the UK-based squad for the GT Academy graduates.
“We have a massive task ahead, but we’re doing everything we can to make sure we give this the best shot we can,” Cox said.
“Even though the weather, safety cars, and everything may be virtual, we’re treating this like the real thing, and Jacob and his team have that race-winning experience that we’re adding to our ‘virtual’ pit wall. We had great real-world success with Jacob and his team with gamers in the past – now we’re taking two real-world motorsport legends into the virtual world. It is a perfect flip from what we’ve done previously.”
The Formula 1 stars’ sim racing teammates have equally as impressive resumes. Pahkala finished third three times in the iRacing World Championship Grand Prix Series in 2014, 2015 & 2016, and second in the Road Pro Series in 2013. He finished fourth in the Formula 1 Esports Pro Series Team Championship in 2018 and was third in the Formula E Visa Vegas eRace in 2017.
Teien is a two-time LFSCart champion and has driven for G2 Esports in the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series.
The 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual will kick off at 15:00 (CEST) on Saturday, June 13, with racers greeting the chequered flag at the same time on Sunday.
Source: Torque Esports
eSports
Esports World Cup Foundation and Lenovo™ Partner to Power the Next Generation of Esports Champions

Lenovo’s Legion premium gaming brand joins the world’s largest esports event to fuel elite performance and elevate the fan experience through world-class hardware
The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) and Lenovo, announced a partnership to make Lenovo’s Legion brand of gaming devices the Official PC & Gaming Hardware partner of the Esports World Cup 2025 (EWC). Lenovo Legion is the one of the world’s leading gaming ecosystem brands, and will be bring its relentless commitment to innovation and performance to the global stage, empowering EWC athletes to compete at their highest level.
From training rooms to tournament zones, EWC athletes will be equipped with Lenovo Legion Towers, Lenovo Legion laptops, and peripherals – built for elite esports play with advanced thermal systems, high-performance silicon, high refresh-rate displays and low latency keyboards and mice that meet the demands of top-level competition.
Key models such as the Legion Tower 7i and Legion Tower 5i will feature across the event’s player infrastructure, delivering the reliability and power needed to perform under the intense pressure of elite competition. Designed for esports, both towers offer expansive I/O for a complete gaming setup and Legion Coldfront: Liquid cooling thermal solutions. The Legion Tower 7i boasts advanced cooling and an NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 5080 Desktop GPU for the extreme performance that top-tier esports athletes rely on, while the Legion Tower 5i pairs intelligent cooling with the RTX 5070 Ti Desktop GPU to deliver focused, winning gameplay.
EWC will also feature Legion Pro 7i laptops to give attendees the full Lenovo Legion experience. Legion laptops untether elite-level gaming experiences from the desk, allowing gamers to win anywhere they find themselves in competition for the top spot with up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop GPUs and Legion Coldfront: Vapor thermal systems, allowing the laptop to deliver up to 250W TDP that brings the most demanding games to life on the 16” PureSight OLED display.
“We’re building the Esports World Cup to set a new global standard — in both competition and the technology behind it,” said Mohammed Al Nimer, Chief Commercial Officer at Esports World Cup Foundation. “Lenovo’s Legion brand understands what elite players need: speed, efficiency, and reliability under pressure. These machines deliver the competitive edge required on the world’s biggest stage, and together we’re pushing the limits of performance — while delivering an experience that meets the expectations of athletes, fans, and the future of global esports.”
“Lenovo Legion equips gamers around the world with outstanding devices to help them achieve their goals and reach their impossible,” said Volker Düring, VP, PC Gaming Business, Lenovo. “The Esports World Cup is the ultimate forum for the world’s best gamers to showcase their mettle and emerge at the top of the world leaderboards, and when the best gamers compete on Lenovo Legion devices, anything is possible.”
As part of the partnership, Lenovo’s Legion branding will appear across EWC’s global broadcast, digital content, and onsite experiences, including fully equipped festival zones with PCs, gear, and laptops available for attendees to play on-site, helping drive deeper engagement with fans while highlighting the ecosystem that supports world-class gaming.
Fans can expect exclusive content, player-focused storytelling, and digital activations across Lenovo Legion’s social channels, offering an inside look at the road to victory – and the technology that powers it.
Returning to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from July 7 to August 24, 2025, the Esports World Cup will unite global gaming communities for a celebration of esports culture. With 25 tournaments across 24 games, 2,000 elite players, and 200 Clubs from over 100 countries, the EWC will feature the largest prize pool in esports history, over $70 million. Fans can expect exclusive experiences, from high-stakes competition to live music, anime cafes, retro arcades, cosplay, and more, drawing millions of fans online and in person.
The post Esports World Cup Foundation and Lenovo™ Partner to Power the Next Generation of Esports Champions appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
eSports
BETBY REDEFINES CHESS BETTING WITH EXPANDED MARKET OFFERING AHEAD OF ESPORTS WORLD CUP DEBUT

BETBY, the innovative sportsbook supplier, is redefining how chess is experienced in the betting world, launching an innovative suite of markets designed to deepen engagement and bring fresh energy to one of the world’s oldest strategy games.
Marking a new chapter for chess within the iGaming space, BETBY’s upgraded betting content portfolio goes far beyond traditional markets like outright winner or total moves. Bettors can now engage with detailed, event-specific outcomes including the first move made, the first piece captured, number of checks, castlings, and whether a game will feature a pawn promotion, an en passant, or end in stalemate. Several markets also focus on the timing of critical moments, such as whether a checkmate will occur before a certain move, offering more dynamic, real-time decision-making for players.
This launch follows six months of dedicated product development across BETBY’s chess vertical and reflects the company’s long-term vision for the game as a core part of its sportsbook strategy. With chess now officially included in the Esports World Cup, the timing marks a natural convergence of two verticals where BETBY continues to strengthen its position: esports and traditional chess.
As part of this expansion, BETBY is also introducing another exclusive: live betting on the Top Chess Engine Championship (TCEC), a prestigious AI-based tournament. While the event follows a defined schedule, it opens up a new betting experience through intense matchups between powerful engines, enriching the overall chess offering.
Currently, BETBY offers pre-match coverage for around 20 chess tournaments per month, totaling approximately 400 matches. The addition of these expanded markets marks a strategic leap forward in delivering a modern, high-engagement chess product to sportsbook partners and players.
“Chess has always been a passion of ours, and today we’re proud to announce the launch of a truly comprehensive chess offering,” said Kirill Nekrasov, Head of Sportsbook Product at BETBY. “By expanding our market depth and introducing innovative tournaments, including both traditional and AI-driven formats, we’re giving our partners and players a completely new way to engage with the game. Our vision is ambitious: we want chess and betting to become synonymous, to the point where no modern sportsbook feels complete without chess markets. We’ve already done this with Betby.Games and esports, now it’s time to do the same with chess.”
BETBY’s long-term global brand ambassador, five-time world chess champion Magnus Carlsen, will represent Team Liquid at the Esports World Cup. His participation in the tournament, which begins on July 7th, reinforces chess’s growing presence in global esports and its potential as a premium betting vertical.
The post BETBY REDEFINES CHESS BETTING WITH EXPANDED MARKET OFFERING AHEAD OF ESPORTS WORLD CUP DEBUT appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Esportes da Sorte
Esportes da Sorte celebrates Brazilian culture with Parintins and São João Sponsorships

Esportes Gaming Brasil, the owner of Onabet and Esportes da Sorte, is making its debut at the 58th Parintins Folklore Festival with an interactive project that blends cultural promotion, economic development, and social responsibility.
The brand becomes the first regulated betting operator to offer institutional support to the event, which welcomes around 120,000 visitors and generates BRL 184 million in local economic activity, according to the Amazonas State Government.
This cultural commitment comes on the back of Esportes Gaming Brasil sponsoring 31 São João festivals during June in 27 cities across the Northeast and Southeast regions. This initiative strengthens the brand’s strategy of connecting with the public through the appreciation of Brazilian cultural expressions.
Esportes da Sorte’s focus was creating memorable experiences as each event featured scenography by Pernambucan artist Perron Ramos. Another notable element was the Vila Junina (June Village), a themed area blending traditional elements with interactive experiences. Classic games such as Pescaria da Sorte (Fishing of Fortune), Barraca do Beijo (Kissing Booth), and Argola da Sorte (Ring Toss) bring nostalgia to the festivities.
For the three-day Parintins Folklore Festival starting today, the brand will be energising Parintins with a series of experiences celebrating local culture. These include a panoramic lounge with a special view of the Bumbódromo, the Truck da Sorte — a space combining karaoke and free hydration — as well as a Social Arena installed in the Garantido and Caprichoso neighborhoods, featuring artistic performances, rest areas, free water distribution, and Instagram-worthy spots. Festivalgoers will also be able to get their hands on custom giveaways throughout the festival. All elements of the visual project are inspired by Amazonian art. The graphics feature illustrations by Curumiz, a Parintins-based duo formed by Alziney Pereira and Kemerson Freitas.
Sofia Aldin, CMO of Esportes Gaming Brasil, the group behind the brand commented: “Esportes Gaming Brasil cares passionately about regional values and strengthening Brazilian popular culture. It’s more than simply showcasing our brand, we want to create value for the people who live for events like the Parintins Folklore Festival and the São João festivals. Being part of these events backs our strategy of supporting traditions that drive local economies and celebrate regional identities.”
The post Esportes da Sorte celebrates Brazilian culture with Parintins and São João Sponsorships appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
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